Fallbrawl: Chaos Reigns

German hardcore bruisers develop some new moves

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Ten years strong and Fallbrawl remain true to their fight-inspired name, and this fourth release is not unlike a spin-kick to the neck in terms of viciousness.

Currently on tour with Born From Pain, whose frontman Rob Franssen also guests here along with Nasty’s Matthi, Fallbrawl are a hardcore community and tour circuit staple, despite the member changes along the way. The videos for new tracks Seelenfresser (‘soul eater’ in German) and No Future are sharp reminders of how powerful these guys are live, but the aggression in their recordings is just as palpable.

This is a not a band to grow stagnant just because they’ve been around for a while, and Chaos Reigns beats you around the head until you’re in full submission. The breakdowns remain but the songs are more distinctive and tighter than ever.

Chaos Reigns dials up the metal, sprinkles a few disharmonies and pushes AK’s ferocious deathcore vocals to breaking point. All power to the Ruhrpott mosh.